Scaffolding Questions for Each Document
Document 1: First Open Door Note
What is the Open Door Policy?
To whom is the message directed?
How did the United States hope to benefit from this policy?
Document 2: Atlantic Monthly Article
Who is the likely audience for this article?
What is meant by "Yellow Peril"?
Is there a conflict between US national and international interests in China?
Document 3: Telegram from British Foreign Office
Who is the (likely) author of the translated Inclosures sent with the telegram?
What or whom is a Yamen?
Do you see a contrast between MacDonald's statements of the events and those coming from the Chinese government?
Document 4: Puck Lithograph
What do the three main figures in the image represent?
What is the author trying to say with the title "First Duty"?
How do you think the artist feels about the Boxer Rebellion?
Document 5: Kaiser Wilhelm's Speech
What justifications does the Kaiser use for sending the soldiers to China?
How does he use the word 'Empire'? What does he mean?
Document 6: Map of Foreign Legations
What city does this map portray?
Do you see a wall around the Legation? What is it for?
Can you identify the various flags on the map?
Document 7: Puck Lithograph
Who are the two figures at the top of the image? At the bottom?
What idea do you think the artist is trying to portray?
Document 8: Letter to the Editor
Who is the author and who is the intended audience of the letter?
What do you think an ethical association is?
What is the purpose of comparing riots in China to riots in Akron, Ohio?
Does this purpose support the author's purpose in writing the letter? Why/why not?
Document 9: Pierre Loti Excerpt
Is this author a reliable source?
What is he describing?
How do you think his account would be received in France? In the United States?
Document 10: Foreign Troops in Forbidden City
What is the Forbidden City?
When was this photograph taken?
What inferences can you draw from the photo in relation to the Boxer Rebellion?
Document 11: Puck Lithograph
Can you identify some or all of the figures in the lithograph?
How does this lithograph differ from the previous two?
What do you think the artist means to portray with this image?
Document 12: Mark Twain Article Excerpt
What does Mark Twain mean when he talks about the 'game'?
Who is the 'Person Sitting in Darkness'?
Does transferring the issue from China to the United States bolster his argument? Would readers have found this change believable?
Document 13: 100 Year Anniversary Newspaper Article
What is the source of this article, i.e., in what country is the newspaper based?
Is there any bias in the article or is it balanced and fair?
There is no mention of the United States in the excerpt. Should the US be included somewhere and if so, at what point?
Document 14: Conflicting Depictions Web Article
What is the source of this article, i.e., in what country is the website based?
Is there any bias in the article or is it balanced and fair?
What causes for the Boxer Rebellion are presented in the article?
What are Yuan Weishi's views?
Document 1: First Open Door Note
What is the Open Door Policy?
To whom is the message directed?
How did the United States hope to benefit from this policy?
Document 2: Atlantic Monthly Article
Who is the likely audience for this article?
What is meant by "Yellow Peril"?
Is there a conflict between US national and international interests in China?
Document 3: Telegram from British Foreign Office
Who is the (likely) author of the translated Inclosures sent with the telegram?
What or whom is a Yamen?
Do you see a contrast between MacDonald's statements of the events and those coming from the Chinese government?
Document 4: Puck Lithograph
What do the three main figures in the image represent?
What is the author trying to say with the title "First Duty"?
How do you think the artist feels about the Boxer Rebellion?
Document 5: Kaiser Wilhelm's Speech
What justifications does the Kaiser use for sending the soldiers to China?
How does he use the word 'Empire'? What does he mean?
Document 6: Map of Foreign Legations
What city does this map portray?
Do you see a wall around the Legation? What is it for?
Can you identify the various flags on the map?
Document 7: Puck Lithograph
Who are the two figures at the top of the image? At the bottom?
What idea do you think the artist is trying to portray?
Document 8: Letter to the Editor
Who is the author and who is the intended audience of the letter?
What do you think an ethical association is?
What is the purpose of comparing riots in China to riots in Akron, Ohio?
Does this purpose support the author's purpose in writing the letter? Why/why not?
Document 9: Pierre Loti Excerpt
Is this author a reliable source?
What is he describing?
How do you think his account would be received in France? In the United States?
Document 10: Foreign Troops in Forbidden City
What is the Forbidden City?
When was this photograph taken?
What inferences can you draw from the photo in relation to the Boxer Rebellion?
Document 11: Puck Lithograph
Can you identify some or all of the figures in the lithograph?
How does this lithograph differ from the previous two?
What do you think the artist means to portray with this image?
Document 12: Mark Twain Article Excerpt
What does Mark Twain mean when he talks about the 'game'?
Who is the 'Person Sitting in Darkness'?
Does transferring the issue from China to the United States bolster his argument? Would readers have found this change believable?
Document 13: 100 Year Anniversary Newspaper Article
What is the source of this article, i.e., in what country is the newspaper based?
Is there any bias in the article or is it balanced and fair?
There is no mention of the United States in the excerpt. Should the US be included somewhere and if so, at what point?
Document 14: Conflicting Depictions Web Article
What is the source of this article, i.e., in what country is the website based?
Is there any bias in the article or is it balanced and fair?
What causes for the Boxer Rebellion are presented in the article?
What are Yuan Weishi's views?